Samuel N. Combs

Orange Police Department — Orange, TX

Felonious

End of Watch April 18, 1910

Age 37

The Vigil Panel 24 ›

Gender Male

Incident Service The Sacrifice Department 7

Incident

A hotel manager had been suffering thefts of linen for two weeks and was watching for suspects around midnight. He called Deputy City Marshal Ben Stokes to arrest two men. Stokes arrested one man and asked Deputy City Marshal Sam Combs to assist him in locating the second man. While searching a neighborhood, they saw a man escorting a woman to her house and walking away. Stokes was tying up his horse as Combs approached the man and asked his identity. The man pulled a large knife and slashed Combs across the throat nearly severing his head. Combs fell the pavement and died. The man fled but a posse later surrounded his house. As Stokes attempted to arrest the man, he allegedly made a movement as if to obtain a weapon and Stokes shot him in the neck. The man survived and denied his guilt, but officers found a large knife with blood on it in his overcoat. Jackson White was tried twice. The first trial ended in a mistrial and he was convicted and sentenced to death in the second trial. No record if White was ever executed.

Sam Combs was born about 1872 in Kentucky and had moved to Orange several years earlier. He was single and was survived by three sisters. He was a painter and worked part time for the police department. He was buried in Evergreen Cemetery but no records exist today as to his gravesite.

Survivors

He was single and was survived by three sisters.

In Our Keeping

Permanent identifier: BO-US-TX-8134E183
Stewardship: Maintained by NeuraWeb Global Inc.
Added to badge.nw: April 2, 2026
Last updated: July 23, 2026

Honored here by 1 sentinel - 1 tribute.

Are you family? This record can be claimed and maintained by those who knew Samuel. Claim this record.

This page is permanent and free. No fee to view it, no advertising, no tracking, and no account required. It will not be taken down.

Tributes

I never knew you. I am standing here anyway.
Deputy City Marshal Combs served with the Orange Police Department.
Thank you for your service to the Orange community. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Deputy City Marshal Combs.

— S. Vincent Anthony, U.S. Army 1985-1993

Agency

Department Orange Police Department

Location Orange, TX

Platform Identity opd.orange.tx.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch April 18, 1910

Age 37

Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Felonious

Cause Detail Stabbed

Weapon Edged weapon; Knife

Offender sentenced to death

Deputy City Marshal Samuel N. Combs is one of 17,623 officers killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty across the full record of this memorial — 54.2% of all 32,508 officers honored here.

In TX, 1,463 of 2,421 officers were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 60.4% of this state's fallen. That is 6.2 percentage points above the national rate of 54.2%.

At Orange Police Department, 8 of 8 officers on record were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 100% of this agency's fallen.

Orange Police Department

of 8 officers

100% Felonious

TX — Statewide

1,463

of 2,421 officers

60.4% Felonious

Nationwide

17,623

of 32,508 officers

54.2% Felonious